‘Big liability’ removed: Milton half of bridge comes down

By Liz Markhlevskaya

lmark@fosters.com

fosters.com

By Liz Markhlevskaya

lmark@fosters.com

Posted Oct. 10, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Liz Markhlevskaya

lmark@fosters.com

Posted Oct. 10, 2012 at 3:15 AM

MILTON — A team of workers began removing the Milton side of the bridge that spans lower Northeast Pond between Milton and Lebanon, Maine on Tuesday.The bridge, connecting Townhouse Road in Milton and New Bridge Road in Lebanon, Maine was built shortly after World War II. It has been seen as a safety hazard in recent years.Road Agent Pat Smith was one of five Highway Department and Paye Construction workers at the bridge Tuesday morning, removing large stakes in preparation of lifting the bridge in two large pieces and disassembling it once the bridge is on the ground.The team of workers began the removal process at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and while work is scheduled to take place over a three-day period, Smith said the work is moving at a faster pace so far.The bridge, described by Smith as “old and rotted,” was closed to vehicle traffic about two years ago, but the bridge is not even fit for pedestrian traffic or bicyclists that still use the bridge. Smith said, some motorcyclists have also been driving on the bridge, and teenagers have been known to jump off the bridge into the water, presenting a potential safety hazard.“This is a big liability,” said Smith.To ensure safety of workers, it was decided the bridge will be carried away in two large pieces, rather than being taken apart — the more labor intensive way, piece by piece. Removing the Milton side of the bridge in two large chunks also aims to prevent materials from the bridge from falling in the water.A boat from Milton Fire and Rescue Department was poised at the edge of Northeast Pond, in case a worker, or a piece of the bridge, fell into the Northeast Pond during the removal.“We’ve been trying to eliminate anything going into the lake,” said Clarence Nason, foreman at the Highway Department.He said some of the old beams of the bridge contain hazardous substance creosote, which the crew has prevented from getting in the water. After each portion of the bridge is lifted, using Paye Construction’s excavator, those portions will be disassembled on the ground, and materials from the bridge will be stored at the Highway Department barn.An eight-foot-tall chain link fence will be positioned just before the bridge on the Milton side, along with concrete blocks, to prevent vehicles and pedestrians from accessing the area where the bridge once was. The other end of the bridge is blocked off as well.According to Selectman Bob Bridges, the cost to remove the Milton side of the bridge was $4,000, and the town has no plans to replace the bridge.According to minutes from a public meeting on May 19, 2011, Chip Getchell, director of Maine Department of Transportation asset services division, said fixing the bridge is estimated to cost $1.4 million.An official from Maine DOT visited the Milton side of the bridge early Tuesday afternoon, in hopes of estimating how much removing the bridge on the Lebanon side will cost.